The Pursuit
by chasemycars
Summary: Zuko, Katara, and a mysterious stranger from Zuko's past embark on a mission to rescue Ursa. But is there another plot afoot? Rated T for violence, possible language, and suggestive themes. ZUTARA!
1. Destruction and Discovery

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, or any of the characters in the series. Writing this fanfic is not benefitting me, or at least, in a monetary way.**

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE**

Destruction and Discovery

As Teo, Sokka, and Duke stood huddled around their newest creation, Sokka let out a little sniff. "I think I could cry just about now" Sokka sighed, wiping something off of his eye. After quickly glancing at Teo and Duke's smirking faces, he quickly added, "Not like Katara's sappy sobbing, you know. More like...manly water tribe tears. Of manliness!"

"Don't get yourself down, Sokka!" said Haru, who was now striding towards the three. "Some guys just have to face the fact that they can't pull off facial hair." Grinning widely, he began to eye the bulging bag in the middle of their circle. "Sokka, is that what I think it is?"

"Well, its a pretty big bag, and surprisingly, it's not full of all the lame mustache jokes you've attempted. No, it's...Duke, would you like to do the honors?"

"It's the stickiest, smelliest, most exploding-est blasting jelly we've made! Ever!" cried Duke, happily flailing his hands in the air. "And I told you, its THE Duke!"

"Try not to accidently tilt it, Haru" warned Teo. "We layered the different ingredients in a pretty intricate order, so if someone were to knock it over and disrupt the balance of the different jellies, then-"

"Kaboom!" yelled the Duke, who began to run circles around Haru, and make pretend explosions with his feet on the smooth western Air Temple stone floor. Sokka, sensing that the Duke's explosions might accidently cause a real once, he gently lifted the bag and carried it into the temple.

Meanwhile, Aang and Zuko carried out their firebending training on the outer edge of the temple, and Katara and Toph sat on the slightly elevated veranda in front. While Toph entertained herself by pulling and playing with the weeds which grew out of the jagged cracks in the rocks, Katara was completely engrossed in watching Aang and Zuko. Watching furious, amber fireballs racing towards a dappled sky, set against the backdrop of gently rolling hills and cool breezes turned out to be a beatiful sight; a sharp contrast to her previous thoughts about firebending, and about Zuko.

Although the memories of Ba sing Se were still fresh in her mind, she had started to regret her cynical attitude towards the former Fire Nation Prince when he first joined their group. She had her doubts about him at first, but now she knew that he, like the others, was ready to give up anything to protect Aang. After about a minute, she realized that she was smiling.

"KAH-TAH-RRAH!" yelled Sokka, who was sprinting towards her with a pouty expression. "It's been a while since we last had food. What happened to that rice that you were boiling?"

"Ugh, Sokka! Why don't you get the rice? Just for once, take care of your own stomach!"

"Well, Katara, I would. But since you're the one wearing the dress here..."

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?!" shrieked Katara, shifting her glare from Sokka to the slowly approaching Haru.

"Um, I think he means that since you're the girl, that you have to-"

"One more word Haru, ONE MORE, and that goatee of yours will be gone by tomorrow morning!" Katara said, jabbing her finger into his fearful face. As Haru backed away slowly, Katara turned on her heels, and marched toward the oblong archways that marked the location of the kitchens.

"Stupid, sexist hogmonkies" she thought, opening the door. The kitchen was plain and grey, with the exception of the large window-like wall on the left, and painted air bender symbols on the ceiling. Katara let out a groan of frustration as she glanced at the piles of dirty dishes that were scattered all over the countertops. The pot full of boiling rice was seated awkwardly on top of a fire, and began to tremble from the steam, with occasional shifting the lid. Sighing, she removed the lid, and paced back and forth as she waited for it to cool down.

"Stupid boys" thought Katara while she crossed her arms. "Always making me do everything..." The more that she thought about it, the more she began to realize that Sokka had really been a pain these past couple of days. He'd never bothered to help her with the dishes, cook, or even make his own bed. She let out a low grunt of frustration, aiming a kick at nothing in particular. It just so happened that her aimless kick stuck a funny looking bag facing the window.

--

Aang could feel the blast before he heard it. He stopped his fireball short, and spun around to see thick ringlets of green smoke issuing from somewhere in the temple. "KATARA!" he screamed in Zuko's face. Before Zuko could say anything in protest, Aang had grabbed him by the wrist, and was pulling him inside at top air bender speed. The world sped by in flashes of color and sound; Aang was focused on finding green. Green smoke, green splatters, green anything.

Soon, he found a room in complete shambles, with green slime dripping off the walls, and Katara in a corner struggling to get to her feet. Aang let go of a very dizzy Zuko, and rushed to her side, asking her a flurry of questons.

"SpiritsKataraareyouokbecauseisawitandicameandimsorryididntcomefasterand-"

"Aang, I'm fine. Thank you. Just- just bend it out of here" croaked Katara, who decided to remain slumped on the wall, eyes still closed. After giving her one more concerned look, the Avatar began to bend the slime into graceful streams, and send them through the window onto the valleys and trees below. Zuko, who managed to stop stumbling around, took a seat next to Katara on the floor and rested his head on the wall.

"I knew Water Tribe recipies always lead to disasters" he said in a matter-of-fact tone, giving her a smug smile. Katara eyed his expression for a second and grinned.

"How are you holding up?" he inquired, more serious this time.

"I'm pretty good. My right knee and wrists still kind of hurt"

"Oh." He gently lifted her wrist, and peered at it, examining for any clear breaks or bruises. After about a minute, he slowly turned her wrist from left to right.

"Does is hurt when I do this?"

"Not really, no"

"How about this?" he asked, tilting her wrist back and forth. "It seems like-"

"AH SPIRITS! That feels horrible!" Zuko quickly lowered her hand, but let it rest on his.

"Sorry" he muttered, casting his eyes at the window. Katara also shifted her eyes to somewhere on the floor, until she noticed that Zuko's fingers had crept up from her wrist to her fingers, a few of them interlaced. Before she could respond, a demanding yet child-like voiced boomed from the doorway, "Well! What do we have here?"

Zuko quickly stood up. Before he attempted to explain himself, he remembered that Toph was blind, and probably couldn't see his hands, especially with the slime obstructing her earth bending vision.

"Well, it seems there was some kind of an explosion" he explained to Toph and the others, who had just arrived behind her. They all wore equally stunned expressions. "Aang's trying to bend that stuff-"

"Katara, did you touch that bag that I put in here?" asked Sokka, with obvious concern in his voice. Now, everyone who had just walked in had settled around Katara, either giving her a lengthy visual inspection, or prodding her with more questions about what happened.

"Well, when I got in here, I was pretty mad at you, and I thought it was a bag of dirty clothes, and I- Wait! Did you just say that you PURPOSELY PLACED IT HERE?" Katara's voice had gone from monotone to angry and resentful. Suddenly, Teo spoke up.

"I TOLD you, Sokka! That stuff was dangerous! Putting it in a place that almost everyone goes too was the stupidest-"

"YOU COULD HAVE KILLED HER!" roared Aang, who was done with his bending, and was now shaking an angry fist at Sokka.

"Spirits, Katara, everyone, I'm so sorry! It was dumb, and stupid, and I wasn't thinking and- aw Toph! You're glaring too?"

"Hey, I may be blind" said Toph with a touch of sass. "But I don't need eyes to see that I'm looking at a complete dunderhead."

Instead of responding to her, Sokka just slumped on the ground, and with his nose on his knees, he began to rock back and forth. Aang, moved by this pathetic sight, came over to Sokka and gave him a nice pat on the back.

"It's ok, Sokka. We all know you didn't mean it. It was an accident, right? Katara will forgive you, won't you Katara?"

"Aang's right, Sokka" said Katara warmly. "I know you're pretty stupid some, well, most of the time, but I know you didn't mean it. It's a good thing that I kicked the bag out the window by accident. Otherwise..." she stopped short, and closed her eyes. Composing herself, she added, "You can make it up to me by gathering some food by dinner time, since, you know, you kind of wrecked it all."

"Yeah!" yelled Aang, with a fist in the air, as Sokka gave a weak smile. "It's strawmogranite picking seasoning! And you know what that means...fruit pies for dinner! Me and Sokka could-"

"Aang, I'd like you to stay here, if that's ok with you" said Katara, who was now on her feet. "If I'm going to get my hands back into water bending shape after a good self-healing session, I need someone to train with. Toph, do you mind-"

"I'll go with Sokka." said Zuko suddenly. "He might need some fire to see if it starts to get dark."

"Good thinking" said Katara with a smile. "Well, Sokka? Our stomachs aren't getting any fuller! Yip yip!"

--

The sky was beginning to look smoky-blue as Zuko and Sokka's bag was beginning to look full. The strawmogranites that day were exceptionally juciy as well as thin skinned. Every once in a while, the fruits would burst as they plucked them from their dense bushes, staining their swollen fingers with sweet violet juice, much to their annoyance and delight. The pair had maintained focus on their task for a while, but eventually sat down to talk, occasionally popping a fresh strawmogranite in their mouths.

"Some day, huh?" muttered Sokka, munching on a fresh berry that he had just plucked.

"No offense Sokka, but out of all places, why would you choose the kitchen as a place for the blasting jelly?"

Sokka had cast his eyes downwards, and a little color had drained from his face. "I didn't exactly choose it. I mean, I was walking by when I noticed the kitchen window, and I noticed that I could see the moon outside. It just looked so...bright. And peaceful. And I started to think about Yue. By the time that I walked away, I guess I just didn't realize that I had left it there. I'm not trying to pass that off as an excuse for my stupidness, but-"

"No, Sokka. It's ok. I understand." Zuko stared ahead into the trees, his chewing slower.

"Do you ever think about Mai?" asked Zuko slowly, starting on another berry. It was now Zuko's turn to flush.

"Well, I used to, almost all the time. I can only image what she felt while reading that note, how much I hurt her. But lately, its just like the feeling has-"

"Zuko, did you hear that?"

"What?!"

Both of them were now standing and alert, scanning the area.

"It was like leaves rustling, but I can't feel any strong breezes right now" Sokka whispered, eyes wide open. A bush that had gently, yet noticibly vibrated caught Zuko's attention. He silently motioned Sokka to stay quiet, and slowly pulled out his double broadswords. As he slowly approached the bush, he heard a loud thud behind him; Sokka had fallen to the ground, and two thick darts appeared to be stuck in his legs. He tried to get up, but everything below the waist wouldn't budge.

Zuko, now furious, roared to the bushes, "COWARD! SHOW YOURSELF!" Almost instantly, he saw a figure covered completely in black sprinting towards him from a nearby bush. Zuko began to sprint as well, and made agressive swipes for the figure's head as soon as he was close enough. The stranger avoided his attacks by ducking, and quickly backflipping behind him. When Zuko turned around, he was astonished; the figure was holding double broadswords as well. The two rushed at eachother. Zuko made quick jabs and slashes at the stranger's neck and stomach, which were blocked by equally fast attacks. The fighting seemed to continue for hours, punctuated by Sokka's groans of discomfort. While ducking from another attempt at his shoulder, Zuko spied a pile of hardened mud on the grass, and pivoted into a different position. As the two began to move backward, Zuko braced himself; the figure's heel would soon meet the lump of dirt. As the figure tottered backward, Zuko quickly spun behind, and caught the stranger's neck with the edges of his swords.

"Feeling okay, buddy?" Zuko called out to Sokka, who could sit up by now.

"The only thing I can feel hurting right now is my pride. But yep, doing great!" replied Sokka. Zuko turned his attention back to the person in his hold. Their face was covered in a semi-opaque black cloth, making it almost impossible for him to get a good look at their features. The stranger's breathing had gone from fast and hard to calm, and their fidgeting had stopped. Instead, the figure loosened their hold on the swords, and its face seemed to be slightly turned towards Zuko.

"Give me one reason -one damn reason- that I shouldn't end you right now" Zuko breathed into the stranger's ear.

The person said, in a dreamy and unfamiliar young woman's voice, "Why, Zuko! Is that really the way you should talk to an old friend?"

* * *

**First fanfic ever. Yes? No? Maybe? Should I stop with pointless questions? Review, review, review!**

**See you next chapter!**


	2. Discussions

**CHAPTER TWO**

Discussions

Sokka stood over the fallen girl covered in black, and twirled his boomerang in his hands. Zuko sheathed his swords slowly, and faced Sokka, with an irritated expression on his face.

"Once again, the day is saved by the Sokkster!" said Sokka, with knuckles now on his hips. "You can thank me as soon as you get over witnessing my impeccable aim."

"Was that really necessary? I know its fun to fling that toy of yours around-"

"It's not a toy, Jerkbender! It's a weapon of immense...well, it just plain awesome. Anyway, it knocked her out, and pretty well, by the looks of it. Why don't we just take that mask off?"

Zuko reached down for a moment, hesitated, and withdrew his hand. He paced around, his shoes roughly crunching the bright grass and freshly fallen leaves. Finally, he faced Sokka, looking grim. "Whoever she is, she just tried to kill us. I say that we take her back to camp as prisoner, and keep that mask on her face. You know, so she doesn't get any ideas if she wakes up and sees things along the way."

"Good idea, it just needs a little improvement" called out Sokka, who was walking to a tree and pulling out a large leaf. Zuko looked on in confusion. When Sokka came back, he proceeded to tie the leaf over the girl's head with some rope they had brought along.

"What are you doing?"

"Well, she could still see us enough to almost kill us WITH the mask on" explained Sokka, who was now tying a fancy knot on the back of her head. "I figure we could use a little reinforcement." Zuko slapped himself on the forehead. How could he be so stupid?

"Good call, Sokka."

"Mhm."

"I'll just let you finish, then."

As Sokka made elaborate loops and twists, which were probably unesessary anyway, Zuko eyed the person that lay sprawled on the ground, with every inch of skin covered in black material. Definitely a girl, because no normal sword-bearning had a voice that silvery, or a body that slender. Still, her shape had a few small bulges here and there; his guess was that she was concealings things underneath her cloth body-suit, probably of soft material. Those would be taken care of later.

"Done!" exclaimed Sokka, standing and grinning at his handiwork. "You know, I'm proud of myself; I actually resisted choking her! I mean, those darty-needle things really did a number on me. Pulling them out was..."

But Sokka had already lost Zuko at the word "darty-needle." Her voice was airy, almost eerie, and very unfamiliar. Plus, he was sure that he had never met a female who had mastered the double broadswords at his level, much less an old friend. But at the same time, needles! Needles, needles, oh spirits, those needles!

"Sokka..." said Zuko, eyes focused on the blindfolded girl. "Do you--do you think that it's...Mai?

Sokka's comical expression broke into one of surprise, and mild concern. Zuko cast his eyes downward, and then back at the girl, searchingly. For a few moments, his eyes showed hints of longing, but he shut them.

"Zuko, if you want to she who she is, I'll understand."

Zuko opened his eyes again. "No, but thanks. I can't risk our safety just to see if it's her. I mean, we're going to camp anyway, so I'll just have to wait for a little while, right?"

Sokka gave him a rough pat on the back. "Can't wait to hear what you guys have to talk about. I mean, if it's her..."

Zuko gave Sokka a weak smile, and shrugged. He looked back at the girl and sighed as he picked her up, and threw her limp body over her shoulder. Giving a nod to Sokka, he added, "Could you get her swords?"

"Why? Not planning to give them back are you?"

"No" he said firmly. I just figure that they could be great kitchen knifes. When YOU make dinner tonight, Sokkster."

Sokka smiled and nodded, and the pair made their way back to the temple. For a moment, Sokka noticed that Zuko's right hand hovered over the masked girl's head. To cradle it, perhaps? But, Zuko's fingers curled back, and his hand returned to his side.

* * *

Katara was back on the veranda, with her knees to her chest. Her unbraided her gently tickled her shoulders as the evening breezes became stronger. The sun had almost set, and had begun to bleed its wide collection of colors into an accepting sky. She head the gentle shuffling of feet, and warm hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she smiled at Aang. The Avatars always chose the right time to arrive.

"You seem a little cold."

"Oh, no, I'm fine" said Katara wistfully. With a chuckle, she added,"I always do my best thinking in less-than-comfortable situations. Just ask those pirates."

Aang laughed, and did his less-than-funny pirate imitation, which only lead to wierd stares from everyone else.

"What's with them?" he asked Katara.

"I don't know" she said, returning her gaze to the sunset. Aang bit his lip as he looked at her, and exhaled slowly.

"Katara, do you remember when I went to see Guru Pathik?"

"Yes. What did you do?"

"A lot. I learned about the Avatar State, but I mostly learned about...myself"

"What did you learn about yourself, Aang?" said Katara, now looking at him again.

"I learned about what I value. What I love. I started to understand that I had to-"

"SNOOZLES AND SPARKY ARE BACK" hollered Toph, at the top of her lungs.

Teo and Haru, who had been talking, walked over. Duke, who's stomach was audibly growling, almost flew. The entire gang gathered around a very frazzled looking Zuko and Sokka descending from the vines above, blabbering about various things, but mostly asking about their food. Zuko set their food bag off to the side, but it was only a matter of seconds before it was attacked by Duke and Toph. He then lifted his prisoner off of his shoulder, and proceeded to tie her to a stone pillar next to their sleeping area, using more of his rope with some help from Sokka. It was only after they turned around did they notice that everyone else was staring at them.

"Who's that?" asked Teo, tilting his head to the side.

"Whoever they are, I'm guessing their asleep" said Toph, with about a handfull of berries still in her mouth. "You boys make any new friends on your quest?"

"Not exactly" said Sokka. "She kinda tried to kill us. Is it just me, Zuko, or are all of your friends really, really wierd?"

Aang stepped forward, and whizzed around in bending poses. "Is she fire nation? Is fire nation here? Are they coming?! I told you guys, if-"

"Aang, relax" said Zuko, running fingers through his hair. "We weren't followed, and I don't know who she is. At least, I think I don't" he finished, giving Sokka the smallest of nervous glances.

"Well!" said Toph firmly. "Whoever she is, I think that we should have a nice, long talk once she wakes up, earth bending style. Or at least when you guys take that thing off of her head."

During the next hour, everyone proceeded to set up sleeping bags around the small fire Zuko had set up, which made shadows dance around an amber-tinted floor as night approached. Instead of making fruit pies, Sokka decided to make a nice, hot stew from their findings. Surprisingly, no one vomited, although Haru did turn a light shade of green.

"Haru, are you ok? I could make some medicine, you know. I still have Gran Gran's water tribe remedy recipies..."

"No, its ok, Sokka" said Haru, hands on stomach. "It's just some good-old earth bender hue."

While Aang, Teo, and the Duke continued their spirited discussion about fruit pie trajectory, Zuko began to distribute some fresh walzel nut tea he had just made. When he was finished, he took his seat next to Katara.

"Thanks for the tea" she said as she sipped thoughtfully.

"No problem. Like Uncle Iroh always says-"

"Zuko, I would normally love a good Uncle Iroh impression, but laughing at your pathetic imitation skills might make me shoot this tea out of my nose."

"Learning a new water bending move, are you? And advancing to the nose level...it's a good thing I'm on your side now."

Both sat staring eachother down with smug expressions until they burst with laughter.

"You know, this whole tying-a-fierce-female-to-a-pillar thing reminds me of something"

"And what's that, teabender?" said Zuko, with sarcasm.

"It reminds me of being tied to a tree...and once-ponytailed prince who promised to save me from some pirates..."

"Good times, good times" laughed Zuko, raising his cup of tea to a crackling amber fire. "You know, there are some pretty horrible things that I can still save you from..."

"Like what?" asked Katara, who had set down her cup, and put her hands on her lap, expectantly. Zuko had set his cup down as well, and had suddenly snatched her wrists into his hands.

"I'll save you..." he said slowly. As he leaned in closer, he whispered,"...from Sokka's bad cooking!"

Everyone who was in earshot snorted with laughter, and Sokka shook an angry fist at Zuko.

"I heard that, Jerkbender!"

"You're not the only one who can notice loud noises, Sweets" said a now-conscious young swordswoman. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to have my face again."

* * *

Instantly, the gang scrambled around her. There was much that they wanted to say, but they fell silent as Zuko reached for her mask and pulled it off. Her hair had flipped over her face, and with her head titled down, she began to shake it off. Zuko noticed that it was straight, black, and shining, like he had hoped. But when he saw her face, he surprised himself by feeling dissappointment. Of course it wasn't Mai, he thought. How could be be so proud as to assume the girlfriend he dumped was still chasing after him?

As the girl looked up and surveryed the people that held her captive, Katara felt herself almost taking a step back. It was not because she was ugly or deformed in some way. In fact, her pale, sharp features were quite attractive. No, it was her eyes; they were beautiful and frightening at the same time, if such a thing was possible. It was impossible to tell if they were an extremely pale blue, or a dark white, only defined by the dark grey ring on the outer edge of the iris, and the thick, black lashes that surrounded them. They looked capable of great emotional understanding an communication, but they belied her currently expressionless face.

Toph pushed through the circle, and as soon as she was about a foot from the girl's face, she bent some of the floor into two rock walls on either side of her body.

"Alright, Blades" sneered Toph. "I'm guessing that some of us have questions, and we need answers. And I suggest you tell the truth, or you're going to be getting VERY friendly with these rocks."

The girl sighed, and rolling her eyes slightly, she replied, "Ask away." Suddlenly Zuko, who it seems had disappeared for a moment, walked over to the girl, and glared at her angrily.

"Who sent you? Are you working for the Fire Lord? Are there more of you coming? Spirits, if this is all some elaborate plot to get Aang-"

The girl let out a small chuckle. "Actually, Zuko, I came here to find you. By myself." Zuko glanced at Toph, who gave a nod, indicating that the girl was telling the truth.

"I didn't realize that bounty hunting season had already started."

"Tracking you was pretty easy. For me, at least; I'm better than most. But killing or capturing and collecting isn't part of the plan."

"Really?" exclaimed Sokka, now stepping up, jabbing his finger in her face. "How else would you explain what happened in the woods today, hmmm?"

For the first time, the girl looked slightly exasperated. "Considering that moments before I came out of that bush you were about to hurl that club thing at me, shooting paralyzing darts at your legs to save my head didn't seem like a bad decision at the time."

Sokka merely crossed his arms and looked away, while Zuko continued to glare.

"Fine. But attacking me for no reason has no justification, and people who don't plan to kill don't hide in bushes, or pull out those" said Zuko, gesturing at her swords, which now lay near a sleeping Appa.

"I was waiting for a good moment to...talk, and I was only sprinting over to help your friend as soon as I hit him. Besides, you pulled out your swords first."

"I wouldn;t have had to get them out if-"

"You know," said the girl, in a matter of fact way, "this reminds me of the first time that I met you." Zuko threw his head back, and placed his hands on them, before leaning towards her once again.

"Spirits, stop it! I have no idea who you are!"

"Try to remember the last time that you played swords with a girl."

"I fight, not play, with swords. " Zuko replied coldly.

"Maybe if you untie me, I can refresh your memory."

"Not so fast" interjected Toph. "I thought I made it clear that you were going nowhere, um, whatever you name is."

"It's Hahn, and I'm surrounded by benders. What's the worst I could do, with my swords next to that...thing?"

"Fine. But no funny business. And Appa's not a thing" said Toph, lowering the stone blocks. Zuko pulled out one of his swords, and cut the rope that bound her to the pillar. Hahn slowly stood up, and rubbed her wrists slowly as she gazed at Zuko, squinting slightly. After a minute, she walked over to Zuko, and promptly began to pull up the bottom half of his shirt.

"What are you-" Zuko started. But before he could shove her away, she was already delicately tracing a scar on his chest with her finger. It was long, thin and was his ribcage, located just above a set of well-developed muscles.

"This is where I scarred you a while ago" she said quietly. She let go of him, and he quickly yanked down his clothing, and scowled at her. She began to fold up on of her sleeves, and pointed a thin, horizontal scar on her upper arm.

"This is where you scarred me." Zuko's eyes began to widen with understanding as he unknotted his arms.

"Oh. I remember."

Sokka, who looked more intrigued that grumpy now, first pointed a finger to Zuko, then to Hahn, like he was calculating something. A wide grin spread over his face.

"Zuko, you dogparrot, you. Was this before or after Mai?"

Teo and Aang slightly snorted, and Katara raised an eyebrow at Zuko, trying to conceal a smirk.

Sokka continued, walking around, "I mean, I knew that you were probably wierd with girls, but-"

Zuko's good eye bulged in frustration. "Sokka, it wasn't like that. She was just some annoying girl I met at the palace when I was nine, and I fought with her and-"

Hahn coughed. "I'm right here, you know."

Teo spoke up, saying, "Sounds like an interesting back story. What happened?"

Hahn opened her mouth to speak, but Zuko had started to talk. "When I was a kid, I liked to feed the ducks in the royal garden. One day, I saw her sitting a few feet from the other side of the pond, messing with her swords. I thought she was one of Azula's friends-"

"Did you just say that I was messing with my swords? At my level, I don't MESS-"

"ANYWAY, I told her to go away, and she got really mad, so she swung at me with her double broads, and I swung back with the a knife from Ba Sing Se Uncle gave me, since I wasn't supposed to fire bend unless I was with a trainer-"

"Wow. You guys actually tried to stab eachother because one told the other to go away?" Katara exclaimed, taking a step back.

"Yeah, well, growing up Fire Nation can make someone pretty deranged. So then, Azula saw us, and yelled that she was glad I finally got a girlfriend. I ran off to chase her, and...that's about it. So, let me guess...," said Zuko, now facing Hahn. "You came back all this way for a rematch? I'm sorry if I _hurt you feelings_-"

Hahn laughed. "It's not good to be so disrespectful, Zuko; especially to your first double broadsword teacher. You know, I think that whole 'Blue Spirit' thing was a way for you-"

"My patience," said Zuko menacingly, "is waning."

Hahn cleared her throat, and looked firmly at Zuko, momentarily glancing at his scar. "I came here because I have something for you from your mother."

Zuko stepped forward, hands smoking though they were curled into fists.

"What?!"

"And if I'm right, I think that we could get to her" added Hahn slowly.

"Toph," Zuko said quickly as he turned around. "How easy was it easy to tell that she just lied?"

"Actually Sparky, she's telling the truth."

* * *

**This took a bit longer to finish, but I have a feeling that the first was much better. **

**Guys, I really need some feedback, especially of the constructive kind. REVIEW OR I'LL STOP! Just kidding. But seriously, reviews are appreciated.**


	3. Revelations

**CHAPTER THREE**

Revelations

The world outside of Zuko's tent was resting, but inside, a liquid fire continued to burn in his bones. The events that had happened just hours before had stirred him in strange ways. That girl, Hahn, whoever she was, had just offered him what he had previously thought was impossible; a chance to find his mother. Despite Toph's constant reassurance that she could not have been lying, his suspicious were not stilled. He made an unnecessary shift in his sleeping position, and began to gently claw the loose earth underneath his slender fingers. What might have been a striking face was ruined by Hahn's constant habit of wearing an annoyed expression, like things were never going according to plan. And there was that horrible and familiar smirk that she wore during occasional moments of contentment. Slowly, Zuko rolled onto his stomach and gently lifted open the flap of his tent. Hahn lay on the ground a few yards in front of him, her black hair spilled across the top of her sleeping bag. Luckily, her swords were not anywhere nearby. Zuko closed the flap and rolled onto his back. That smirk was the mark of someone with motives. And people with motives, like Azula, always lie.

The next morning, Katara awoke with the sudden realization that she was in incredible pain. Groaning quite audibly, she tried to move her neck from its current position to the other side, but failed. Slowly tugging her bending water pouch proved to be difficult with an almost-frozen neck, but she managed to collect it into silken pools that fitted her hands like gloves. After healing herself, she crawled out of her tent, and was surprised to see everyone up and ready, folding tents around a small fire. Katara trudged to the bathroom slowly, cleaned her teeth with some of the dental herbs the Duke had picked. By the time she came back, Sokka was happily filling bowls of leftovers from yesterday. She took a seat next to a very alert Haru, who passed her his untouched bowl of stew like it was a hot radishtato.

"I know how you feel" snorted Toph. "But I honestly can't take any of Ponytail's tears today. Eat up, 'Stache."

Haru reluctantly took back his bowl, and stared at it for a few seconds. "What about Katara?" he asked hopefully. "She needs something to eat, and we're pretty much out-"

"Don't worry, Haru!" said Aang, patting his back. "Katara can have some of mine." With a cheery smile, he passed Katara a dish of half of his stew. Katara smiled weakly. After taking in a few spoonfulls, she felt that she needed something to take her mind off of what she was doing.

"Wait" said Katara, suddenly looking around. "Someone's missing..."

A few minutes passed, and Zuko could be seen walking briskly toward the group from somewhere inside the temple.

"Gone" he grunted as he took a seat on the other side of Katara.

"What's gone?" asked Teo, setting down his bowl of stew.

"Her. And her swords. I wouldn't be surprised if she had stolen something as well."

The others seemed focused on their stew now, glancing around once in a while. Suddenly, they heard abrupt snapping sound.

Hahn was on the stone veranda, dusting herself off while she sheathed one of her swords. On the ground near her lay a broken vine, which she had lowered herself down with, and a good sized pile of chopped wood. Realizing that everyone had their eyes locked on her, she cleared her throat, and once again put on that exasperated expression.

"Wood..." she mumbled, gesturing toward the pile. "I thought that we would need more."

"You should have informed someone that you were leaving. It was foolish and irresponsible; you are a child." Zuko's statements had no inflection in their tone; it wasn't debatable, and it required no response. He shifted his body towards a bowl of stew in front of him, and ate.

Hahn stood silently, slightly frowning. The next minute, she had marched up right in front of Zuko, and kicked away the bowl of stew. She lowered her face slowly so that it leveled with his, his nose only a breath away from hers.

"_I answer to NO ONE"_she snarled. "I came here out of the kindness of my spirit-damned heart; but I'm starting to see that my decision, like you said, was pretty foolish. But you know all about foolish, don't you Zuko?" Hahn gently brushed the side of her hand against the rough and calloused skin that was his scar. Zuko felt her pupils burning into his; was that a hint of amber creeping into her icy-blue irises? She might as well have called him Zuzu.

Grabbing her wrist firmly, he felt anger rising in his chest, and flowering outward as a fireball erupting from his lips. Hahn ducked and tumbled onto the ground, showing for the first time an expression of terror.

* * *

As the Avatar, it was Aang's job to maintain peace and tolerance between those around him. Mediating for feuding earth kingdom tribes, however, was nothing compared to resolving the disputes that broke out between Hahn and Zuko. It took nearly an hour of yelling and arm-flailing, mainly on Aang's part, before everyone had calmed down. Despite their calm behavior for Aang's sake, Hahn and Zuko both still looked as if they were silently coming up with ways to kill each other as their eyes reduced to opposing slits from across the circle. The others chose their words carefully, as if one wrong syllable had the potential to reopen a furious jar of locustworms.

"Hahn, why don't you talk to us about how you got started? What inspired you to look for Zuko's mother?" asked Katara, an an overly-airy voice. She quickly glanced at Zuko and then back at Hahn.

Hahn shifted uneasily. "My uncle and guardian was a servant of Lady Ursa. It is a servant's duty to ensure the safety of their master or mistress." With a smirk, she added, "And what better way to mess with the Fire Nation than to deliver someone they screwed over to someone in the process of screwing them over?"

This drew a couple laughs from everyone present, with the exception of Zuko, of course, and the Duke, who just looked around puzzlingly.

Hahn cleared her throat and pulled out a singed and crinkled piece of parchment from the many layers of her clothing. As she unfolded the paper, it revealed to be a letter painted with fine lettering; a sign that the writer hailed from a high place in society. A good portion of the letter was burned, leaving many sentences cut off or unfinished.

"I found this in the royal archives while...investigating for leads. I'm assuming that its from your mother, unless you can show me something indicating otherwise." Hahn handed the letter to Zuko. His eyes scanned the page hungrily.

**

-------------o,

The turmoil you feel now is quite understanda----

---nd so is your anger. Remember, I will be her---

for you. Send your reply to the Avani c--------------

Never forget who you-----------------------------------

---------------er, Ursa

**

When he was done, he began to examine it from top to bottom, possibly for other visual clues. After a few minutes, he set it down gently.

"Zuko, is that from your mother?" asked Katara slowly.

"I don't want to make hasty conclusions" he murmured.

"The letter is addressed to someone who's name ends with the same character as yours. If it was a formal letter, it would also contain a more elaborate signature" said Hahn, gesturing at the burns.

Zuko remained silent. Aang stood behind Zuko and began to read the letter.

"Avani? Zuko, do you know where that is?" asked Aang, prodding him in the shoulder.

"Avani is a Fire Nation colonial town in the eastern Earth Kingdom." Everyone turned to see a now-alert Haru, who was stroking his chin thoughtfully. "My dad had passed by the place when he went to visit a relative of ours. It's supposed to have great soil, and is located by a couple of beautiful rivers. Just the kind of place Fire Nation colonists would want to ruin."

"Or the perfect place to vacation!" interrupted Hahn, who was now wearing a faint smile.

"What are you suggesting?" asked Zuko, eyes reduced to slits again.

"I'm suggesting that we find your mommy, hotpants" scoffed Hahn. "This has been a productive day and all, but I'd like to get some breakfast before _I_ start asking ridiculous questions."

Toph made an aggressive move toward Hahn, but stopped as Duke gently patted her back. She shrugged her shoulders and walked off, a few berries in hand. Teo handed Hahn a large and uncut fruit, and rolled back towards the temple. Zuko stood up rather quickly, and began to fold his sleeping bag. Soon, the others followed. Seeing that Haru was having some difficulty stuffing his sleeping bag into a cover, Katara stopped to help him. As they rolled both ends of the tough cloth together, Haru fumbled with it until it rolled out flat again. He seemed to be staring at something directly in front of him, and not really focusing on what he was doing. Looking up, Katara saw Hahn licking the juice off of the sword she used to slice her fruit, being sure to get every speck off. Haru was totally engrossed. With a broad grin on her face, Katara playfully elbowed Haru in the chest and finished folding his bag.

"Are you making plans to leave for Avani?" asked Aang as he walked towards Hahn, who was wiping juice off her face. Gradually, everyone rejoined the circle.

"I suppose so. I will need some more supplies before the departure, and of course, Zuko."

Zuko stepped forward and crossed his arms. "I suppose you have a plan, then?"

"Definitely." Hahn pulled out another piece of paper from another one of the many compartments hidden away in the folds of her clothing. It was a map, with the words "Territories of Interest" written at the top in bold letters. Of the many places marked were all the air temples, and several cities in the Earth Kingdom, including Avani.

"I say we arrive on the outskirts of the city early in the morning, to take care of last-minute details before we begin."

"And how exactly do you plan to find one person in a densely populated area?"

"I say we wing it, unless you have better ideas. I've tried to think this through."

Zuko looked startled for a moment, but returned to his usual demeanor. "Transportation? We can't just swim there."

"Take Appa!" Aang almost shouted. "I'm sure he's dying to get out of the temple, and it's the only practical way."

"Aang, I can't just drag Appa along with us. What if he gets hurt? It's a Fire Nation colony" said Zuko, wearing a concerned look.

"In that case," said Aang brightly, "bring Katara too." He nodded towards Katara.

For a few moments, Zuko stood silent, eyes cast on the ground. Then he stepped towards Aang and firmly placed his hands on his shoulders.

"No, Aang. Katara belongs here. She belongs with you. If given the choice between putting you all at risk or staying, I'd rather not go."

Aang politely shook his head and smiled. "Zuko, for the first time in a long time, we're in a place where we're not constantly having to run or fight off the Fire Nation. You chose to give up everything to come and teach me, and I think it's about time you got something back; something that you really care about. And Katara isn't someone that I make decisions for. She makes her own choices. I have to accept the fact that I remain...unattached. I'll always love her, and she'll always belong to me here" - he patted his heart - "no matter what she decides to do."

The instant Aang had resumed speaking, Zuko pushed his body into his own to form a warm embrace. Katara smiled and gave a reassuring nod to Zuko as he surfaced, before clutching his hand tightly. "I'm going."

"Wonderful. We leave at dawn tomorrow" said Hahn curtly, hands now on her hips. "You know, that's two elements. Anyone up for a third?"

"Why not?" asked Katara, as she pushed Toph towards the other three. Toph gave a resisting shove to Katara, and pushed her bangs out of her face, revealing eyebrows that were arched in amusement.

"Thanks, but no thanks, Sugar Queen. _Someone _has to save Twinkletoes when he screams like a girl for help. You'll have to settle for number two. Oh, and, you're welcome, 'Stache" She jabbed her finger at Haru, who was nervously running his fingers through his hair and looking somewhere into space.

Sokka looked eager to talk as well. "It's settled then. Haru, Katara, Jerkbender, and you go to the Earth Kingdom, and the rest of us stay here. Meeting adjourned!"

Hahn began to walk toward the vines that dropped from the edge of the cliff above the temple. "I'll be off to get more supplies" she said over her shoulder. Suddenly, the Duke ran up to her and tugged on her shoulder.

"What?" she asked, looking down.

"Have you ever head of low-strength blasting jelly?"

"No." She pulled her way up a fine. Duke ran back to the group with a mischievous look on his face as he eyed Hahn's sleeping bag.

* * *

**Thanks so much to xxX-VioletFire-Xxx, suchsmallthings, suchsmallthings, dmhgfanatic, Sareon, and the black kitty!**

**I know that it has been a while, and I know this time is kind of short, but a lot of things got in the way. Anyway, I think the new chapter is a starter for developing Hahn as an interesting character foil for Zuko. Let me know what you think.**

**REVIEW!**


	4. Questions

****

CHAPTER FOUR

Questions

* * *

The only thing Hahn dared to look at for was the texture of the leather saddle. She wasn't really observing it, since lying on her stomach had forced her face onto it for the last several hours. Hahn had fought to maintain her current position, and had faced not-so-suave requests from Haru to join him at the reins as well as Katara's nearly sickening optimism and you-can-do-it attitude. For one sole moment, Hahn turned up her head slightly, and saw the sky. It was vast and indigo and blue and endless and it was big and she was small and it was rushing at her and she knew it would take her and---

Hahn let out a small yelp, and curled back into her familiar position. As much as she didn't want to think about anything, she heard Zuko chuckling; it was enough to get her sitting up.

"Do you have a problem?" Her pale blue eyes narrowed.

Zuko ran his hand through his black locks and grinned. "You remind me of the first time I rode on Appa. And its funny to see someone I haven't exactly liked too well curl into the fetal position."

Hahn punched him in the shoulder and crossed her arms, but a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. But Zuko's sudden laughter made her scowl at him again. He shook his head as she looked her way, trying to say something but clearly unable. When he was done, his smile was even wider.

"You know, I knew I had heard your name somewhere before. Now I know that it was also the name of that oafish Water Tribe warrior, who made a pathetic attempt to assassinate Zhao on his ship."

At the word Zhao, Hahn's eyes widened for a moment, then narrowed once again to reinforce her comtemp. "How fascinating, considering I'm not the oafish male in this present company."

Katara giggled, causing the pair to stare at her. "Sorry! It's just that you both sound like an angry married couple." Hahn and Zuko both looked in opposite directions and acted like they were supressing their gag reflexes. Secretly, Zuko reflected on the situation; Hahn's beautiful physiognomy was like that of a noblewoman. If placed back into Fire Nation high society there would be no doubt that--

He cut his train of thought off, remembering that he could think of other things that were stunning in appearance. Hahn turned around suddenly to stare at Zuko, like she had heard imaginary dirty words thrown her way. Instead of saying something, she calmly faced Katara.

"So tell me about this other Hahn, Katara" said Hahn, switching the subject.

Katara laughed again. "Well, he was bethrothed to the girl my brother had a big thing for, before she...left this world to become the moon spirit. She didn't like him too well. Don't get me wrong, he was as gorgeous as Water Tribe men come, but arrogant as a Fire Na....uh, hogmonkey." Katara sheepishly smiled at Zuko, who she knew, had noticed her verbal gaffe. Strangely enough, it looked like he paid more attention to the "gorgerous" part than the insult to his countrymen.

Hahn smiled and pushed a lock of hair out of her face. "That's the thing about boys; fun to look at, not so much to be around--"

"I know! It's pretty upsetting." interjected Zuko. Katara grinned, but Hahn ignored him.

"Anyway, no wonder Sokka and I didn't really talk; it was like talking to someone who took someone important from him. Plus, there was that whole 'me stabbing him in the leg with paralyzing darts' thing."

"Yep...probably had something to do with it. You should have seen the way he acted the last time he was ambushed by girls--"

"WE'RE ALMOST THERE!" shouted Haru over his shoulder as he held the reins. "I'M GUESSING ITS A FEW MORE MILES UNTIL--"

"Haru, you don't have to shout" said Zuko, closing his eyes and pinching the uppermost part of his nose. "We can hear you perfectly well from here."

"Sorry! Anyway, its a small distance to the province. Just a few more miles of flying."

"Thanks."

For a few minutes, the saddle was clouded by an awkward silence. Then, Katara spoke up.

"We're going to the Earth Kingdom, but we should probably have Fire Nation disguises, right? I assume that colonists probably have more freedom than Earth Kingdom natives."

Hahn shrugged. "Wouldn't everyone dress Fire Nation, then? To obtain the privledges by passing as a colonist?"

"Not likely" said Zuko. "It's fairly easy to distinguish Earth Kingdom natives from Fire Nation colonists from their appearance, accent, and mannerisms. Plus, citizens of the Earth Kindgom are far too proud and strong to give up their identity for trivial matters." Haru's face was turned from them, but one could assume that he was smiling; he had pumped his fist in the air after Zuko's comment.

"So what are we doing?" asked Hahn.

Zuko thought for a moment, then replied. "I suggest that we divide; half colonist, half native. It'll be easier to get through town that way, and its the best way to mix with officials and locals."

"Great. Who's who?"

"Dibs on Fire Nation!" exclaimed Katara happily. "I already have a super-inconspicuous name."

Zuko winced, then stared at the ground. "ACtually, Katara...I think it's better that you keep an Earth Kingdom disguise."

"Oh, you don't have to worry. Aang, Sokka, Toph, and I already spent PLENTY of time in the Fire Nation." With a casual flip of her hair, she added, "I think I could pull it off, Zuko Hotman."

Zuko closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose again; a universal sign of irritation. "I know I've told you guys this at least a thousand times; no one says Hotman. No one, maybe, except for 12 year old airbenders who have been out of touch with Fire Nation slang for the last 100 years."

Katara shrugged. "But-"

"Look, you might have been places, but this isn't just some fishing village. It's a colony, populated with lots of colonists sophisticated enough to snuff you out. And besides, you don't really look..." Zuko made another awkward pause and ran his fingers through his hair. "You don't really look..like a Fire Nation citizen that people would expect to live...there."

Katara rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry Zuko. I didn't realize that I was too repulsive to meet Fire Nation beauty standards."

Zuko slapped his forhead, and he looked exasperated as he talked to her. "That's not what I meant. It's just that many upper-class Fire Nation women look at pale complexions as a sign of beauty. And you're slightly...root-tea tinted? As a matter of fact, delicious root-tea tinted! Root-tea so delicious that my uncle-"

Zuko tried to finish his sentence into a complete statement, but ended up mumbling something nonsensical as quickly glanced around in different directions.

"Nice save, chief" muttered Hahn. "Katara, I don't think you're ugly."

"Neither do I" exclaimed Zuko, now regaining his speaking abilities. "You're not ugly at all. You're very un-ugly."

Katara smirked at Zuko, and folded her arms in mock-anger. "Gee, Zuko. All these lovely compliments. You might want to keep going, though; there's still a little part of my self esteem left intact."

Zuko opened his mouth to say something, then closed it.

"Well, if you ever change your mind, I'll be sure to remember Sapphire Fire."

---

By the time they made land, darkness had blossomed. It made the city, which was a fairly short distance from the forest-like hills they were camping in, impossible to see. Almost immediately after landing, Appa settled down for a well-deserved sleep in the soft grass. The others still had camp to set up before retiring into the night.

After each individual had set up their tents, Zuko, Katara, and Haru set up a fire in the middle of their campsite as Hahn changed into "sleepwear".

Zuko munched on his slightly overripe stawmogranite and frowned. "I don't see why Princess over there can sit out while we do all of the work."

"Zuko!" scolded Katara. "Don't say that. She's just not used to travelling with other people, I guess. And going a whole day with black cloth covering your body is pretty uncomfortable. And she DID help everyone with their tents. It's not like she's acting like Toph after she left her parents."

"Wait, what?"

"Nevermind."

The three ate their dinner quietly; the silence was punctuated by the munching of strawmogranites. Finally, Hahn emerged from her tent, looking slightly sleepy. As she sat down on the last of the four logs nest to the fire, her features became more prominent. She wore a strapless form fitting top that exposed a good strip of her midriff, which Katara noted was similar in fashion to her original Fire Nation disguise. The bottoms were looser fitting than the top, but were cinched at her waist and knees, where they stopped. Rather than being maroon or reddish tinted like most Fire Nation clothes, the ensemble was a pale gold.

"About time" sneered Zuko.

"Sorry to keep Your Highness waiting!" Hahn shot back.

"Zuko, I heard you mention something about disguises?" asked Haru, who looked too tired for arguing.

"Yes. Before we start out tomorrow, Hahn and I will dress as Fire Nation, while you and Katara have Earth Kindgom disguises. Well, not really a disguise for you, I guess." Haru nodded and grabbed another strawmogranite.

"There seems to be a little problem, Hotman. I don't happen to have any Earth Kingdom clothes. We aren't near any clothes to stea...uh, borrow them, like last time. So I guess that-"

"I already took care of that."

Katara looked at Zuko suspiciously. "What do you mean?"

"I borrowed some of Toph's clothes before we left."

"WHAT?"

Katara's surprise was interrupted by Haru's snoring. His head was in his lap, and flying for a long periods had obviously taken a toll on him. Katara gently nudged him on the shoulder until he slowly got up and slunk over to his tent.

"Anyway, how could you just take Toph's clothes? What is she supposed to do until we get back?"

"Relax, Katara. She's a Bei Fong. She practically uses an Air Temple bedroom as her closet."

"I haven't known her for a while, but isn't Toph a little...little?" asked Hahn. "Will her clothes actually fit Katara?"

"That's been taken care of" snapped Zuko. "Sokka fixed them."

Katara looked more surprised than ever. "SOKKA?!? When did he learn how to sew?"

"I was pretty surprised too. Apparently, his Kyoshi-warrior girlfriend gave him some lessons before he departed. He asked her to learn because of something to do with you yelling at him because of his pants?"

"Long story. Anyway, do they look right?"

"I put them in your tent. I guess you can see them tomorrow morning before we head off."

"Are we all settled then?" asked Hahn, yawning.

"Yeah. You're free to leave."

Hahn headed for her tent and closed the flap. Katara scooped dirt upon the fire and set out for her tent as well. Zuko lingered for a moment, inhaling the perfume of the dying embers in deep thought, and eventually he too walked back to his tent.

---

Katara sat up in her tent, bending water held ready. Something was outside her tent. She couldn't really hear it; it was a matter of feeling it. The flap of her tent opened ever so gently, breaking the wall of darkness between her and the unknown. Immediately, she issued a whip of water out at whatever was there, and surprisingly, heard a loud "Ugh".

"Zuko?"

"Katara, its just me."

Zuko moved into her tent, holding a ball of flame in his left hand, which he used to light the lamp he was holding. As he set it down, she couldn't help noticing that it the dark shadows and scarce light made his scar look more austere than usual.

"You could have scared me -or you- to death!"

"Sorry."

He sat down and carefully closed the flap behind him. "I need to talk to you."

Katara sighed. "Is it about Toph's clothes? They're fine, I just-"

"No. Its about Hahn."

Katara sighed and laid town, still facing Zuko. "Knowing you, this is probably going to take a while. So, what's going on?"

"I don't think that she's being completely honest about her motives."

"What makes you think that?"

"I've seen her a couple times studying that letter intensely, the one that was supposedly written by my mother. I think she knows more than she's letting on. She's defintely here for her own reasons."

Katara closed her eyes and pulled the sash she wore around her. "Just because she's persistent doesn't mean that she's up to something. Besides, she's here to help you get your mom. If anything, its good that she's looking at it more."

Zuko crossed his arms. "It's a little odd that she doesn't involve me."

Katara laughed, eyes still clothes. "Not really. You guys haven't exactly been best friends since this started." She sat up, with her eyes now open. "Why is that?"

"Maybe it has to do with the fact that she's only concerned with herself, cocky, and-"

"I don't think so"

"Maybe YOU'D like to tell me, you know me SO WELL." Zuko's voice was rising, and was laced with sarcasm.

"You say you dislike her because of the way she acts, but it doesn't have anything to do with that, does it, Zuko?" She sat up, eager to continue her diatribe. "No, it's pretty obvious why you hate her; she reminds you of Azula. Honestly, I'm sick of you wallowing in the past. The next time you look in a mirror, think about the favor she's doing for you and how you've been acting. Think about the future!"

Zuko raised his hand and lightly traced his scar with his fingers. "Every look in the mirror reminds me of the past." He dropped his hands and lowered his eyes to the lantern.

Katara's expression of anger melted almost instantly, and her feelings of shame were almost tangible. "Zuko, I-"

Zuko faced her again; his expression was blank. "There's something else you need to know. Are you familiar with any Fire Nation ceremonies?"

She still looked like she felt horrible, but was clearly glad to change the subject. "Other than a few festivals, not really."

"In the Fire Nation, a special ceremony exists for children about a few hours after birth."

"Do they force-feed everyone fireflakes?" Katara chuckled.

"Uh, no. It's only done in the royal family line. A fire sage takes the newborns, and marks them on their backs. With fire."

"WHAT? Spirits, I knew some things were pretty twisted, but I had no idea that the Fire Nation was that horrible. Does this have any point, or do people there just like to inflict pain?"

"The point of the ceremony is to assure that the child is a firebender, or in other words, worthy of their royal status. The newborn's natural reaction to pain, if they are bender, is to issue flames out of their hands. The ceremony isn't supposed to result in a horrible wound. It's purpose is to produce a natural response, and literally mark the child as a royal firebender.

"Disgusting...Did you have a ceremony? I don't remember you having a huge blast mark on your back." For some reason, Katara flushed a little.

"Ceremonies don't involve bursts of flame, at least, not for the past 500 years. The sages usually burn a small, traditional flame-shape onto the newborn backs. It's supposed to be the origin of the Fire Nation insignia."

"Why their backs? Couldn't the sages choose somewhere...nicer? Like their hair?"

"The mark is placed directly opposite of the navel, which is believed to be the chakra of energy and the sun. But the chakra is not directly burned, since that would disrupt one's chi. The ceremony is designed to just access the chakra's power, but not damage it."

"What would happen to a child if they couldn't bend?"

"Firebending, or any bending for that matter, isn't hereditary. But everyone that I know of, who was part of the royal line, was a bender. I suppose that over time it evolved into more of an initiation process rather than a test."

"Do you have a mark?"

"It's very faint. I don't think Azula or my grandfather had to get one; they were prodigies who were probably bending hours after birth." Katara could see the slightest hint of resentment in his eyes.

"Great. But how does this apply to anything that we're doing now?"

Zuko ran his hand through his hair.

"It applies to us because Hahn has the mark too. I noticed it when she walked back to her tent."

Katara's eyes widened, and look brighter than the lantern that was still illuminating their tent.

"Does this mean that she..."

"I don't know what I'm supposed to make of it. Like I said, there's more to her than she's letting on."

* * *

**YAY! Finally done with it. Interesting plot twist, eh? Let me know what you think!**

**Many more chapters to come.**

**-Ava**


End file.
